The Chronicles of Gisborne Book 1 The Red Ribbons
by Till-Owlyglass
Summary: After Guy visits the mysterious Medicine Woman to have a wound treated he soon realizes she is not all what she seems... But when a string of gruesome murders sweep Nottingham, Guy must decide if the girl is really capable of witchcraft.
1. Chapter 1

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1--The Red Ribbons

The Sherriff held out his hand and asked to look at the tattoo on Guy's arm. Guy obliged, rolling up the sleeve of his leather jacket to reveal the black tattoo upon his right forearm. The Sherriff took Guy's arm and held it in his steel grip. Guy watched him take the vial of clear liquid out of his pocket, pull the cork stopper out with his teeth then dump the contents onto his arm and over the tattoo. For a moment, Guy did not react, he stood staring at the Sherriff dumbly. Then the burning took hold of his arm. Guy fell to his knees screaming in pain, clutching his arm. He stared down at his arm in a mixture of morbid wonderment and shock, before his very eyes the skin bubbled and melted, erupting in large red angry blisters which throbbed and scalded at the touch. Guy tried to touch the wound but only succeeded in transferring the acid to his fingers. He cried out and wiped them upon his jacket before they too could become blistered.

"Go and see the Medicine Woman and get it treated." the Sherriff sniffed, unmoved, before breezing away. The Medicine Woman. The strange girl who lived in the castle whom everyone avoided at all costs, only paying her a visit as a last resort. '_She is a witch. A sorceress._' the gossiping women of the town would whisper. It was debated much whether she was a white witch or a black witch but it was agreed that she did her job and did it well. It seemed she could cure even the most fatal of wounds.

Guy rose to his feet unsteadily, his knees felt weak and his legs shook. He stumbled through the draughty corridors, his arm outstretched before him until he came to a wing of the castle that was always left deserted. An eerie silence hung over the corridors, broken every so often by a wind that sounded like the whispering of ghosts. Perhaps it was, many believed that the Witch could speak with the spirits of those which had passed on. Guy stopped at a large wooden door of deep brown oak, he knocked twice urgently then waited, trying to ignore the searing pain in his arm.

"Enter." a voice from inside called. Tentatively, Guy placed his hand upon the ornate brass doorknob and turned.

The room beyond was dimly lit and shadowy. Sheer curtains of red cloth hung at the windows, blocking out the grey morning light. The air was heavy, thick with a sickly sweet perfume which rose upwards in the curling silver-grey smoke of the incense sticks and candles dotted around the room. One wall was covered entirely with shelves, upon which was crammed a library of musty leather-bound books and a large collection of bottles, jars and bowls containing unidentifiable plants and herbs and strange coloured putrid smelling liquids.

"Sir Guy of Gisborne…" a voice which seemed to somehow come from both nowhere and everywhere breathed, making Guy start, "The last time I saw you, there was an arrow sticking out of your chest."

"Yes." Guy croaked, shivering despite the warmth that the fire crackling in the grate gave out. The girl appeared suddenly from behind a curtain which concealed the entrance to another room. Guy hung his head. When visiting the Witch one must keep one's eyes to the floor avoiding eye contact, for it was said that she could take a man under her spell and make him do her bidding simply by looking into his eyes.

"My God, your arm!" she exclaimed, quickening her pace across the room to stand before him and inspect it, "Who poured acid on it?" she guided him to a seat at a round table covered in a purple velvet cloth.

"The Sherriff." Guy replied, flinching back from her touch on his shoulder. The girl went to the shelves of bottles and jars and studied each one carefully.

She grumbled to herself as she searched, "Pouring acid on peoples' arms. Whatever next? Useless uneducated fools…" she trailed off as she reached up for a jar of white liquid then muttered something to herself that Guy did not understand, "Alkali to balance out the acid." She removed the glass lid of the jar then advanced towards him again.

"It is only milk." she explained before slopping it onto the scalding blistered skin of his arm. The burning immediately lessened until it was nothing more than an irritating sting. She screwed the lid back onto the jar then returned it to it's place on the shelf. From a cupboard she produced a pestle and mortar which she set on the table in front of him. Hanging from the ceiling were bundles of dried herbs and flowers, from one of these she plucked a handful of green leaves which she ground into a paste in the mortar. Guy could not suppress the curiosity any longer, slowly he lifted his eyes and looked at her.

Her brown hair hung in curls over her shoulders and down her back. The dress she wore was a deep plum colour, it had long sleeves and laced up at the back, tying in a bow on her lower back. Her eyes were deep blue with flecks of sea green, they seemed to be glowing, or perhaps it was merely the reflection of the fire? They suddenly flicked up and met his. Guy looked away quickly before she could enchant him. She took a few blueberries from a bowl on the table and crushed them into the green pulp then spread the sticky mess onto a bandage which she carefully entwined around his arm.

"Come back every morning and evening so I can inspect it and replace the bandage with a fresh one." she instructed. Guy nodded but kept his eyes down looking at her hands as she worked. Her nails were trimmed neatly, short and round, her fingers were thin and elegant and as milky white as her hands and arms. White, because she never emerged from that room, that mystical, shadowy room filled with intoxicating aromas and rich vivid colours.

"I have finished Sir Guy." she said, shooing him out of the room, "Remember, you must come back every day until I say so or else the wound could become gangrenous. Then there is a risk of septicaemia and you know the only way to cure that? Amputation." The door closed with a click behind him. Guy walked gladly away from that odd girl in that odd room. How did she know such things? Her knowledge far surpassed that of the doctors and alchemists who lived in the town.

He went down to the stables and saddled his horse. It was a huge black beast which put the fear of God into the hearts of the villagers and townsfolk when he rode by. He rode out into the fields and through the forest. The cold wind whipped through his hair and around his face, he breathed deep, filling his lungs with the cool air, trying to clear his head of that sickly opium-like perfume which drugged his brain and sharpened his senses. Something caught his eye through the trees, a white figure. He pulled sharply on the reigns of the horse, making it stop. He turned it and made it walk back towards where he had seen the figure.

The forest was quiet, all except for the wind shaking the leaves. Not even the birds were singing. Guy felt uneasy, something was not right. It was too quiet, too still. Finally the horse edged it's way around a tree and Guy saw it.

"Sweet Jesus!" he breathed, his eyes wide. There hanging from a large rowan tree, a thick rope tied around it's neck in a noose, hung the body of a young girl. The strong wind made the rope twist, creaking as it went. The body turned a full circle before beginning to turn again. She looked no more than eleven years old, with ash blond hair which hung tatted and wild, fluttering in the breeze. She was dressed in a simple white dress of coarse material, Guy presumed she must have been dead for some time as her skin had lost all it's colouring and it was difficult to tell where her flesh ended and the dress began. The body turned again until it was facing him again. She had large brown eyes which seemed to stare straight at him. Guy gasped and looked away, shifting uncomfortably in the saddle. Something confused him more than anything else, on this pale, white little ghost one colour shone through, strong and obvious. A red ribbon, tied in an elaborate bow, braided in the little girl's hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1--The Red Ribbons

"Her name was Anne Ludlow. She was eleven years old, her father is the baker you know." the gossiping wife of the blacksmith had explained to Guy the next day. The blacksmith's wife was a most disagreeable woman by the name of Hettie Browning. She was quite literally spherical in shape with plump red cheeks which shook when she talked, which was constantly.

"Mmm." Guy replied, turning away to watch her husband who was fitting new shoes to his horse's hooves.

"She went missing a few days ago." Hettie Browning persisted, "Her mother put her to bed that night, and the next morning the bed was empty. Not a trace of the girl."

"Incredible." Guy muttered.

"Of course the witch is to blame." the woman whispered conspiringly.

"And how do you know that?" Guy asked, turning to face the woman.

"Well, a few nights before her daughter disappeared, Anne's mother is sure she saw a black cloaked figure walking around under her daughter's window. The witch only comes out at night, she wears a black cloak and wanders through the town, peeping in windows looking for pretty young virgins to drink the blood of." There was some truth to what Hettie Browning had said, when the girl's body had been taken down and examined, a deep cut had been found along her left side under her dress, it seemed the little girl had been left to bleed to death then had been strung up.

"She bleeds them dry then hangs the body to desecrate it so the little girl's soul will never get into heaven. The rowan tree is the tree of the witch and the red ribbon represents the virgin blood she must drink to keep her looking young and beautiful." the woman nodded her head and looked pleased with herself for concocting such a fantastic lie. Guy looked away and shook his head, knowing that Hettie Browning would relate this story to anyone who would listen and by midday it would be halfway to London, _'The witch of Nottingham has claimed her first victim'_.

"I feel sorry for you, having to go and visit her twice a day." the woman added. Guy glared at her, how did she know that? Stupid woman! Always and forever sticking her nose into others' business. He knew it was useless to try and keep anything from Hettie Browning, she always found out somehow.

Guy remembered his visit to the Medicine Woman that morning. She has been quiet and subdued and had murmured, "Poor little girl." How she had heard the news Guy would never understand, considering she never left that room, but then, the witch knew everything, even a man's thoughts some (mostly Hettie Browning) said.

Tom Browning the blacksmith approached him tentatively, "Your horse is ready, m'Lord." he said as he wiped his hands on a dirty rag.

Without a word of thanks, Guy led his horse out of the forge and into the street where he climbed atop of it and rode away, Hettie Browning's voice still ringing in his ears.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1--The Red Ribbons

Guy rode to Nottingham castle where he was to have a meeting with the Sherriff, they had one every week mostly to plan how to squeeze more money from the people of Nottingham and to discuss what was to be done about Robin Hood. He rode into the courtyard and let a stable boy lead his horse away. The Sherriff was already waiting for him in the main hall when he got there, he was seated at a high backed chair at the head of the long wooden table.

"Nice to see that you finally decided to show your face Gisborne." the Sherriff remarked dryly.

"Forgive me for my tardiness, Sherriff. I was unavoidably detained." Guy said breathlessly.

"Well, sit down, sit down! We haven't all day and we've much to discuss." the Sherriff said impatiently. Guy quickly pulled a chair up to the table and sat to the Sherriff's left.

"Now, let's see…" the Sherriff said, shuffling some papers in front of him, "Are your men any closer to discovering the whereabouts of Robin Hood?"

"No my lord, my men had lost all hope and had no leads so I called off the search."

"For God's sake Gisborne! How the hell do you expect to find him if you're calling off the search?" the Sherriff exploded, "You've no right to make decisions such as that without consulting me first! Have your men continue the search tomorrow!"

"Yes my lord." Guy mumbled.

"Good. I'm expecting a shipment of gold on loan from Prince John, it should have arrived three days ago. We'll have to contact the Prince and ask him of its whereabouts."

"That won't be necessary Sherriff. I know where it is."

"Oh where? Why didn't you say something?"

"While the carriage was passing through Sherwood Forest when Robin Hood and his gang attacked it and stole all of the gold." Guy whispered.

"Robin Hood again? And you were the one calling off the search for him?" the Sherriff's voice was menacingly calm. Guy hung his head.

The meeting continued for another hour, in which they discussed what cunning schemes they could execute while King Richard was away in the Holy Lands, whether the idea of building a casino in the castle so they could earn more money was a positive or a negative, how they could get the Irish on their side against the King and whether the French and Germans could be trusted. But when Guy told the Sherriff a third time how Robin Hood had somehow thwarted one of their evil schemes, the Sherriff put a stop to the meeting.

"Oh for the love of God!" he cried, "I've got a headache, that's enough! We'll continue the meeting tomorrow, I've had quite enough of hearing Robin Hood's name for one day! Besides, I expect you'll want to be away to have that wound treated by the Medicine Woman." the Sherriff couldn't have been more wrong, Guy would rather be doing anything on Earth rather than go and see that creepy young woman. Reluctantly, Guy rose, bowed and began to make his way to the door.

"Actually, an idea has just came to me!" the Sherriff said suddenly, Guy stopped with his hand still on the doorknob.

"That girl whose dead body you found…"

"Anne Ludlow. What of her?" Guy asked quietly.

"I think we could use her death to our advantage." the Sherriff said with a devilish grin.

"What do you intend on doing?"

"If we could pin her death on Robin Hood, make the people believe that he had taken to worshiping the Devil and killing children, then they will lose favour for him wont they? He'll soon find that the people of Nottingham aren't as willing to help and support him as they were."

"You're too late." Guy said, "Hettie Browning has already convinced everyone that the witch was the one that killed her."

"Witch? Oh you mean the Medicine Woman? Stupid, superstitious villagers believing a tale like that. Hettie Browning?" the Sherriff pulled a face, "That's another one we'll have to think of a solution for." Guy nodded and left the hall. He began to walk towards the stables to get his horse, he wanted nothing more than to go home to Locksley Manor which he had commandeered but the sharp twinge that started in his arm forbade him and he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. Guy stopped and doubled back and began to make his way to the silent, haunting, deserted wing of the castle. Towards the Medicine Woman.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1--The Red Ribbons

The Medicine Woman was dressed in a dress of a deep midnight blue. With long tapering fingers she unwrapped the bandage from his arm and inspected the wound carefully.

"It looks well." she murmured, "If things continue this way then it should heal without a problem." Guy kept his eyes fixed down on the wound and nodded slightly.

Her fingers were cool against his skin as she rubbed some more of the green paste into the wound then applied a fresh bandage. Guy stood to leave but the Medicine Woman stopped him.

"Sit down." she ordered. Guy obeyed. The Medicine Woman leant back against a desk underneath the window. Guy felt her eyes upon him but continued staring down at the little moons and stars embroidered in gold thread on the purple table cloth. For a while she simply looked at him then finally she spoke.

"Are there any rumours as to who killed the little girl?" she asked.

"No." Guy lied, hoping he would not be able to see the true answer in his mind.

"Oh." she whispered. Out the corner of his eye Guy saw her entire body slump. She heaved a heavy sigh then walked to the curtain covering the door to the other room.

"You may leave if you wish." she said quietly before disappearing behind the curtain. Guy stood so quickly that his chair made a loud screeching sound as it scraped across the stone floor, making him wince. He left hastily.

That night as Guy sat by the fireside after supper in the Great Hall at Locksley Manor, he contemplated what Hettie Browning had said and if perhaps there might be some truth in it. How did the witch know of the events of the past few days if she seemingly never left her room? Guy knew that the castle servants avoided her as much as possible and tried to refrain from conversation when they did come in contact with her, much like everyone else. Perhaps the rumour that she could read minds was true and-

-a sound yanked Guy from his thoughts. A faint scratching, like fingernails on glass. Guy stood and looked around him. It was so dark outside that all he could out of the windows was the reflection of the room inside. The scratching continued and then Guy saw it. Outside of a nearby window was a ghostly pale bare arm visible through the darkness outside, long nails scratched down the window panes creating frost-like patterns on the glass and making Guy's teeth stand on end. Guy leapt for his sword and ran from the house.

Once standing outside said window, he found the area deserted. Guy scanned the field surrounding the house; a full moon was rising and a cold grey mist bowled across the field around his ankles. He turned his attention to the nearby woods and felt a feeling of triumph rise in his breast as he observed a black cloaked figure disappearing amongst the trees. Guy sprinted after it across the field, stumbling down trenches and dips as he went. When he reached the outskirts of the forest he paused, panting, and considered whether tailing after a mysterious black cloaked figure in the middle of the night was such a wise thing to do. He quickly dismissed the thoughts and delved through the deep thicket.

It was even darker amongst the trees than in the field for the trees were so dense and close together that hardly any moonlight was penetrating through their thick branches. Guy drew his sword and began to walk slowly straight ahead through the trees. He walked carefully so as not to trip over any fallen branches or protruding roots. Guy walked for a while and found nothing, he was just about to give up and turn back when through the trees ahead of him he spotted a light flickering. He started towards the light at a quick pace and found himself at the mouth of a shallow cave.

The light was in fact from hundreds of candles lining the cave walls. Guy stepped forward cautiously to inspect the scene. The light from the candles illuminated the cave walls which were adorned with Satanic symbols painted with something which looked suspiciously like blood. Upside-down crosses, pentacles and ancient runes shone out from every angle. On the floor of the cave next to a sizeable bunch of white heather lay a large smooth metal bowl. Guy picked up the bowl and sniffed the liquid inside, he was overcome by the strong metallic smell of blood. Guy blanched and threw the bowl of blood to the floor where it landed with a clang. The blood seeped slowly out, dyeing the sandy floor of the cave a sticky red. Guy gawked around him in bewildered horror then turned and, taking one of the candles to light his way, strode quickly out of the cave and through the trees. He was sure though, that when the cave was not five feet behind him, he heard the echoing mischievous giggle of a woman.

The next day, while hunting in the forest two men found the body of eight year old Sarah Burns floating face down in a muddy river. Like Anne Ludlow the girl Sarah wore a simple white dress, she also had a deep cut plunging into her left side under her dress where she had obviously been bled to death and in her long auburn hair which fanned out in the water around her was tied a red silk ribbon. Guy sent some of his men to the cave to retrieve anything found there but the men found the cave deserted and free of any symbols painted on the walls when they got there. Hettie Browning had a field day incriminating the witch on the little evidence that witches hated water because they were constantly terrified that they would receive the dunking treatment.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1--The Red Ribbons

By the end of the month two more girls were dead. Twin sisters, Ellen and Catherine Tailor, were found in a ditch by the side of a road which ran through the forest. Like the previous murders, the girls had died of extensive blood loss due to a deep cut in their left sides and they both wore long white dresses made of a rough cotton material and had red silken ribbons tied in their hair.

As usual Hettie Browning spread around her poisonous lies so as to implicate the Medicine Woman. The inhabitants of Nottingham knew very well of Hettie's reputation for being a foolish gossiper, but in their state of fear and panic that their own child might be next, normally rational adults began to gradually believe her and even coin their own tales of sorcery and devil worshipping.

Of course there were those who made it their business to profit from these deaths. On market day in Nottingham, as well as the usual stalls of farmers selling their crops and of craft workers, Guy saw an increase in the number of sellers of apparent magical wares. What used to be a couple of stalls every few months when some gypsies passed through the area, had grown into twenty or thirty stalls all claiming to offer some form of protection; Hagstones which, if hung from a bedpost, protected the sleeper from witches sitting on one's chest and causing bad dreams; spells and incantations scribbled on crumpled pieces of parchment which would revert a witch's spell back onto herself if recited before her (these sold well despite the fact that few in Nottingham could actually read); ancient Runes, bags filled with 'magic powder' which acted as a deterrent to witches if sprinkled about the house and more often that not turned out to be merely ash gathered from the fireside or common salt; stones, charms and gemstones to protect against the evil eye; pungent herbs and roots said to be from 'far off exotic lands'; foul tasting potions concocted out of God knows what and usually resulted in the drinker being violently sick for a few days; and one eccentric professing to be a travelling 'Vampyre Hunter' made a small fortune selling boxes carved out of hazel and filled with religious paraphernalia such as crucifixes made of iron or brass, holy water, candles, extracts from the Bible and cloves of garlic. Parents kept their children close by their sides and never let them out of their sight, but on the few rare occasions that the children were allowed to play, amulets for protection bounced against their throats when they ran. Guy watched with an air of distain as the people of Nottingham swarmed around these stalls like ants around their nest.

The first Guy heard of the Sherriff receiving a visitor was when he rode into the courtyard of Nottingham castle and saw the Sherriff seeing the man to his carriage. From the glimpse that he caught of the man before he disappeared into the carriage, Guy saw that he was wearing a tunic bearing the colours and crest of Prince John. The Sherriff stood at the top of the steps next to the great wooden doors, glaring after the carriage with a sour expression as it pulled away. Guy gave his horse to stable boy to tend to then went to stand beside him.

"A messenger from Prince John." the Sherriff stated.

"What news?" Guy asked.

"He was sent to tell me that the news of these murders is all over London and the Prince orders that we catch the culprit before the new month has ended or else the consequences will be most severe."

"What are the consequences?"

"He did not elaborate." the Sherriff sniffed, "But I do not underestimate the cruelty that Prince John is capable of."

"Since when has Prince John made it his business to care about the deaths of some useless peasant girls?"

"Oh but he doesn't. I imagine he sees his intervention as an excellent opportunity to cast himself in a good light for the commoners. The 'Compassionate Ruler' and all that nonsense."

"Did you mention to the emissary about the loan he gave us which Robin Hood stole?"

"Yes I did." the Sherriff snapped, "And he said that the Prince won't be giving us any more loans until we have caught this killer. He said it's a little incentive to work hard to catch him quicker."

"Hear this Gisborne," the Sherriff growled, leaning closer, "The job falls to you to find this killer and I want him hanging from my gallows before the month has ended. If you fail then I assure you that _**you **_shall suffer the consequences, not I." And with that the Sherriff turned on his heel and stalked back into the castle. Guy was left standing alone, staring down at the wooden gallows built in the middle of the courtyard.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1-The Red Ribbons

The little girl was found alive. Heather Smithson was just five years old, two men hunting in the forest discovered her naked body discarded like an old rag doll on the bank of a river. Pale and shivering, her lips blue and her body splattered with mud, she lay slumped with blood pulsing from a gaping wound in her side, but alive. Just.

It was market day, and Guy was patrolling amongst the stalls when a commotion near the church caught his attention. Two men were standing surrounded by a crowd of chattering villagers, a little girl, her face as white as newly fallen snow, lay limply in one man's arms. The man seemed to have wrapped her in his cloak - across which a sticky brown stain was progressively spreading.

A woman whose face Guy did not see, pushed through the gathered people, upon reaching the centre of the crowd she let out a terrible wail which put Guy in mind of a banshee, "No!" she screeched, falling to her knees, "Oh God, no!" A man who seemed to be her husband helped her to her feet then motioned for the men to follow him.

They disappeared into a nearby house with the crowd hastily following to converge around the door. Guy followed and pushed to through the crowd towards the door, only to find to his displeasure that Hettie Browning had beaten him to it in her desperation to always be in the front row to witness the latest scandal or gossip.

"Oh, Sir Guy!" she exclaimed, spotting him before he could edge away unseen, "The most terrible thing has happened! The witch! The witch has struck again!"

"I gathered that." Guy snapped, struggling to control his irritation.

"But this time it's different!" Hettie continued obliviously, "She has left her victim alive! Alive to wallow in the torment and torturous pain!" Guy heard a few gasps from around them and glared, once again Hettie was spreading fear and lies.

"Listen, I'm sick of hearing-" Guy was interrupted by someone brushing past him. It was the priest, Bible and Holy Water in tow; someone must have ran to the church to fetch him. The old man rapped on the door which opened to admit him, revealing complete blackness inside. The crowd pushed forward to get a look inside but the door swung shut too quickly to allow anyone to catch a glimpse.

"Oh, Sir Guy!" Hettie Browning rounded on him again. Guy cursed himself for his stupidity in not slipping away when he had the chance. "You must have the Sherriff do something about these murders! Soon all the little girls will be gone and the witch will turn her attention to everyone else!" the people surrounding them gasped again.

"She'll go on the rampage, killing and torturing and eating the hearts of her victims!" Hettie continued to rave until someone interrupted.

"Shut up!" a man hissed, jabbing an elbow into her fat stomach. It was only then that Guy realised that the crowd had fallen completely silent and had parted to reveal a lone figure, swathed in a black cloak, standing behind them all. The figure drifted forward, the black cloak rippling, and stopped before Guy and a gaping Hettie Browning.

The Medicine Woman raised her head, "Good morning, Sir Guy. You are looking well." Guy was too dumbfounded to speak but the girl either didn't notice or chose to ignore it, "Your skin is a good colour and your eyes are not glassy. And you do not look feverish in the slightest. The wound has not been giving you trouble at all? No? Not even itching a little? Yes? Well, that is normal, it means it is healing."

Hettie Browning, never one to stay out of a conversation, found her voice, "Wh..What…What are you doing here?" she blurted.

The girl ignored her, "Be sure to come to me immediately if you should get any strange symptoms." She looked at Guy expectantly, raising her eyebrows; he nodded.

"Excellent." she said with an air of finality, "Now, Mistress Browning, if you'd be so kind as to step out of my way, I should like to enter the house now." Hettie Browning looked terrified at being spoken to so directly and began to stutter. The Medicine Woman brushed past when it became apparent that she was rooted to the spot.

"Sir Guy, perhaps you would be so kind to accompany me?" she called over her shoulder. Guy was so shocked that he found himself, much like Hettie Browning, unable to move; the girl was at his side in an instant, tugging his arm with surprising strength for one so delicate.

She dragged him up to the door and knocked, the door opened a crack and a man's face peered out.

"I have come to help, I am a doctor." the Medicine Woman said, holding up her arm upon which, Guy only just realised, she had a basket filled with plants and herbs, bottles, medical implements and bandages.

The man grunted and opened the door wider, the Medicine Women marched straight ahead into the gloom, still dragging a reluctant Guy of Gisborne.

It took Guy a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness within, finally, he was able to make out the little girl lying upon a wooden pallet. The priest stood at the head of the bed, reciting prayers in Latin and flicking Holy Water over the prostrate form; the little girl's mother was crouched over her, gripping her hand and sobbing quietly while the girl's father crouched next to her and comforted her; the two men who had carried the little girl, one of whom had let Guy and the Medicine Woman into the house, hovered in the shadows.

The Medicine Woman stepped forward, "Pardon me, Mistress Smithson," she said quietly, "I am terribly sorry for what has happened. But, if you would let me tend to your daughter's wounds, perhaps I could save her life."

The woman slowly raised her head and stared at the Medicine Woman incredulously. She was a thin, pale woman with lank blonde hair and bad teeth, "Who let _her _into my house?" she said finally, in a voice laden with fury.

"I did." one of the men in the corner piped up.

"How dare you." Mistress Smithson said quietly, "How _dare _you set foot in my home, spreading your lies about helping my daughter. And in front of a priest too! I'm surprised you can stand to be in the same room as a man of God. I know what you are."

"Mistress Smithson?"

"I know what you did to my daughter!" the woman screeched, "And to the other girls!" The woman's husband laid a hand on her shoulder and tried to shush her.

"I have no idea to what you are referring to. Please, let me inspect your daughter. Please, for her sake." the Medicine Woman pleaded.

"I will not let you lay a hand on my daughter!" Mistress Smithson screamed, standing up and beginning to advance towards the Medicine Woman who backed away. Mistress Smithson flung open the door and the crowd outside surged forward.

"We have sent for an apothecary to see to my daughter!" Mistress Smithson spat, pointing to the open door but the Medicine Woman did not move.

"Oh, very wise, Mistress Smithson! Very wise!" Hettie Browning's voice rang out, "Be sure to have him bleed the girl! It'll get out all the poison from the dreaded knife!"

"I certainly will, Mistress Browning." Mistress Smithson called out to her.

"If you have him do that then your daughter shall be dead by this evening!" the Medicine Woman shouted in frustration. An uneasy silence descended.

Then the whispering began, _'Did you hear that?_ _She cursed her! The girl will die for sure now!" "I always knew she was a witch!" "Something needs to be done about her, it can't go on anymore!" _the crowd hissed to one another, fidgeting and muttering and glaring in hate at the girl.

"How _dare_ you, you bitch!" Mistress Smithson screamed, her anger overcame her fear of the 'witch' and she lunged forward and pushed the girl hard. The Medicine Woman stumbled backwards into Hettie Browning who gave a scream of terror and fell into a pile of horse manure. The Medicine Woman regained her footing easily; with great dignity she straightened her cloak and gave Mistress Smithson a final withering look before turning on her heel and walking away through the parting crowd. She had walked only a few feet away when quite suddenly she stopped, turned around and marched back. There was a collective intake of breath, the crowd certain that she was returning to do something terrible. Instead, she merely grabbed a wide-eyed Guy by the arm and once again dragged him along with her.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Chronicles of Gisborne**

Book 1-The Red Ribbons

"Where are we going?" Guy finally asked as the Medicine woman dragged him through the streets.

"I want to speak with those two men who found the little girl. They left while that beastly woman was shouting at me, they'll most likely be in the tavern." the girl replied.

They stopped in front of the town's tavern: a ramshackle building offering a few stinking, flea infested beds for the weary traveller, a scruffy grey dog with its fur falling away in lumps, was sniffing around a pile of rotten vegetables, tossed from one of the inn's windows. As they stood there, the inn door was thrown open and a man stumbled out, pushed past Guy and the Medicine Woman, and threw up in the street. The Medicine Woman looked revolted and edged away from the retching man. She drew her cloak around her and pulled her hood tighter so that only half of her pale face was exposed.

"You'll have to go ahead and talk to them. They'll probably be too superstitious to talk to me." she said. Guy opened the inn door for her and glanced back as she passed through it, the grey dog had begun to wolf down the pile of steaming vomit left behind by the man who was now staggering down the street.

Inside, the girl was waiting for him by the door.

"They're over there." she said, indicating to a corner were the two men sat hunched at a table, tankards of beer in front of them. Guy made his way across to them, the Medicine Woman following close behind. When Guy reached the table the two men raised their heads; the older man was probably in his mid-forties with greying hair hanging in dishevelled curls to his shoulders and a thick black beard; the younger man looked to be in his early twenties with sandy hair and a tanned complexion. They were probably father and son for they shared the same piercing grey eyes and prominent hooked nose.

"I am here to ask you about the attack on the girl Heather Smithson." Guy said, straight to the point. Both men winced.

"What is it you'd like to know, my lord?" the older man asked as his son took a mouthful of beer.

"I…umm…" Guy wasn't sure what to say.

"Ask him to start from the beginning and leave nothing out." the Medicine Woman muttered in an undertone.

"How did you find her? Tell us…I mean me, from start to finish."

The older man sighed and closed his eyes then began to talk, "We were hunting in the forest. It was Jack who spotted her," he nodded his head towards the younger man, "She was lying naked with blood all over her but we realised she was alive so I wrapped her in my cloak and carried her back to the village."

"Ask him if he saw anything odd." the Medicine Woman hissed, prodding Guy in the back.

"Did you see anything strange at all?"

"Aside from the half dead girl?" the man said grimly, "No."

Guy nodded and turned to leave with the Medicine Woman but they were stopped when the younger man spoke up for the first time.

"I think I may have seen something, my lord." he said hoarsely, raising his head.

"What?" Guy said, raising an eyebrow. The man seemed reluctant to say.

"Speak up!" Guy snapped irritably.

The man took a deep breath before speaking, "I thought I saw someone standing up on the higher ground amongst the trees watching us."

"What did they look like?" the Medicine Woman instructed.

"Could you tell what they looked like?" Guy said.

"I only saw a black cloak." the man bit his lip and seemed to consider whether or not to say something else, "I think, my lord…I'm not sure if it's true but…I think…as we carried her away…I may have heard them laughing. A woman's laughter." Guy considered this for a moment then swung around and left the tavern without another word, pushing the Medicine Woman out ahead of him; she was rather indignant at being manhandled thus.

"What do you think you are doing?" she snapped, squirming out of his grip once they were outside, "I've already been pushed around once today and that's once too much, thank you very much!"

"We have to get you back to the castle. Now." he said, taking her arm and marching her through the streets.

It was only when they were back in the safety of the castle that he let go of her arm and allowed her to lead him to the pungent mysterious room that was her home. Once inside, Guy stood awkwardly beside the door while she took off her cloak and threw it over the back of a chair. He watched as she straightened her dress and flicked her brown curls out of her face with a toss of her head. She turned to face him and folded her arms.

"Now perhaps you might explain to me why you feel the need to drag me around the village?" she said tartly.

Guy looked away, remembering too late the superstition of never looking into her eyes, "You do know what they think of you in these parts?" The Medicine Woman put her head on one side and raised an eyebrow.

Guy was afraid to explain, how on Earth would she react if he told her that the entire village believed she was an evil witch?

"Some people are under the impression that you dabble in the black arts." he said quietly. The Medicine Woman laughed, a high, silvery laugh, which made Guy jump and stare at her in a mixture of shock and amazement.

"Yes, yes, I'm an evil witch sent by Lucifer to torture and poison the people of Nottingham against God and generally wreak havoc!" she giggled, "They all say that, but then when the sun goes down they all find their way to my door, praying that their friends and neighbours never find out, begging me to cure them; and then in the morning they're back to pretending to be respectable, God-fearing members of society who despise witches and would never in their wildest dreams trust anyone other than God to cure their ailments." Guy was astounded by the girl's outburst.

"Don't believe me?" the girl said, "Let's see…you know the blacksmith's wife Hettie Browning?"

'_Yes,'_ Guy thought, '_Unfortunately I do.' _

"She suffers from crippling gout, gum disease - I've already extracted three teeth - and an ulcer in her stomach." the girl continued, "And the apothecary, Master Jesson. He visits me regularly - though he'd never admit it to his customers, of course! He has a terrible case of syphilis. I've tried my best, but there's not a lot I can do - I'd give him a year at most."

Guy was struck dumb, he didn't really know what she was talking about but he got the gist that the illnesses were awful and someone was going to die soon.

"Well!" she said brightly, "I digress. What I've really been meaning to tell you is that I intend to help you find the murderer of the little girls."

"What?" Guy blurted.

"I know the Sherriff has given you the job of finding whoever it is and I want to help."

"But why?" Guy said, genuinely seeing no sense in her proposal.

"Well, you're more likely to succeed with my help and therefore won't be punished, and if we find out who it is then people will stop blaming me." the girl replied, sounding satisfied as though she had presented an infallible argument.

"No. You can't." Guy said, despite the fact he was more than a little bit nervous to disagree with the witch.

The Medicine Woman stood up straighter and glared at him down her nose, despite being shorter than him, "And why not?"

"It is no place for a woman."

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a pitying smile, "You will soon realise, Sir Guy, that I am not one to take any notice of conventions. You may leave now."


	8. Chapter 8

**The Chronicles of Gisborne **

Book 1-The Red Ribbons

The next morning they rode out to the place where the two men had found Heather Smithson. They stopped their horses on the road above the river and dismounted. The bank down to the river was steep and muddy due to several days of heavy rain; as they walked down it, slipping and sliding on the mud, Guy found himself reaching out to take the girl's shoulder to steady her.

"Thank you." the girl said gratefully when they reached the bottom. Guy quickly withdrew his hand and stepped aside.

"Look!" the Medicine Woman said, pointing to the ground in front of them. Guy looked, the thick mud of the riverbank had been disturbed, showing signs of recent activity.

"You see how there's a big patch of mud here which sinks deeper than the rest and the mud around is pushed away like when one makes a snow angel? That must be where her body lay - there's even some blood left. Two sets of footprints coming from the direction we have just came from - the father and son's. And…Aha! Another set of footprints leading in the opposite direction!" the girl took off running up the riverbank, pulling her feet with some difficulty out the mud with every step. Guy followed, stumbling after her. She ran a little way upriver then began to struggle back up the steep bank, her feet sliding out from under her, until she finally made it to the top and disappeared amongst the trees which stood there.

Guy found her crouching amongst the trees staring thoughtfully down at something in her hands. He realised she was spinning a sprig of white heather between her fingers.

"A woman stood here." she said, "It's strange though, she was barefoot." The Medicine Woman nodded to two perfect footprints preserved in the mud before her, going by how petite they were, she was probably right in thinking that they belonged to a woman.

"Why on Earth would she go barefoot at this time of year?" Guy said.

"She might be too poor to afford to buy shoes. But even the poorest can find a way to fashion some shoes out of something." They stood contemplating the footprints for a moment longer.

"Come, we've found out all we can here." the girl said, standing up and pocketing the heather.

Nottingham was in uproar when they returned. The market square was packed with people chattering hysterically to one another. Guy couldn't make out what was being said, the noise was so vast. He then spotted Hettie Browning standing nearby comforting a sobbing Jane Smithson. _'Oh God.' _Guy thought, things where going to get worse if what he suspected turned out to be true. Before he could steer the Medicine Woman away from the crowd Hettie Browning looked up and spotted them.

"There she is!" she cried, pointing to the girl sitting astride her chestnut mare, "There's the witch!" The crowed lulled into silence for a moment as they caught sight of the girl, then all at once they began to yell, shaking their fists and glaring at the young woman.

"What's wrong? Whatever's happened?" the Medicine Woman shouted to Guy.

"I'll tell you what's wrong, you evil bitch!" Mistress Smithson screamed, pushing through the crowd to stand before the girl and Guy, "My daughter died last night! Just as you said she would! You cursed her, you cow!"

Hettie Browning appeared at the woman's side, "She wasn't pleased that she didn't get to finish her off before Wrolf Raleigh and his son found her! She had to curse her to finish the job!" she said loudly so the crowd could hear her. Guy wondered how on Earth Jane Smithson could stand to be around Hettie Browning, all the things she was saying to rile the crowd and pass herself off as intelligent and worldly were really rather insensitive to say in the presence of the dead girl's mother.

"It wasn't a curse which killed your daughter!" the Medicine Woman shouted impatiently, "Her blood was probably poisoned because the wound wasn't treated properly!"

"Poisoned by the knife which you stabbed her with!" Hettie Browning cried, pointing with a chubby finger at the girl.

"Either that or through lack of blood. I assume that you went along with your plans to have an apothecary bleed her?" the young woman retorted.

"Listen to me, witch. The people of Nottingham won't live in fear of you forever. Mark my words, there'll be a burning before the month is out if you continue your black magic here!" Jane Smithson hissed. The Medicine Woman turned her horse around and galloped away. Guy followed.

She got off the horse outside the church and strode determinedly through the great doors. Guy considered that most of the villagers would find it confusing that a witch could so easily walk into the house of God without being struck down dead as soon as she put one foot across the threshold. Inside the church she was talking hurriedly with one of the monks, Brother Malachi.

"I can't let you. Mistress Smithson would never allow it. She'd murder me if she found out I let _you _of all people see her." the monk was saying.

"You must. You simply must!" the girl was saying, "You've no authority to turn anyone away from paying their respects to the dead." Guy realised that the family had probably left the dead girl's body in the church until her burial and the Medicine Woman was waning to see it for some reason.

"Here." the Medicine Woman said, thrusting two gold coins into the monk's hands, "Let me see her." Brother Malachi, being a avaricious man by nature as most monks were, accepted the coins and led them to a room behind the alter.

The room was small and darkened due to it being lit by few candles to save money. In the middle of the room the coffin in which Heather Smithson lay stood on a long table. The Medicine Woman approached the table and slowly began to unwrap the thin linen shrouds from around the body. As the little girl was only five years old, her face was still rounded and chubby with a button nose and soft feathery eyelashes. The Medicine Woman lifted one of her eyelids.

"She's anaemic. See how the whites of her eyes are yellowing and her skin is pale and yellow?" she lifted her left arm and pointed to a small neat cut just below the crook of her arm, "The stupid fools bled her."

Lifting the folds of material revealed the deep cut on her left side. The young woman inspected the wound carefully, gently pulling the skin slightly this way and that. Finally she replaced the shroud, pausing to place a kiss upon the little girl's pale icy forehead before covering her face again. Without looking at Guy as she passed him, the Medicine Woman left the room and walked back up the church and outside.

When they returned to the castle, after giving their horses to the groom to take to the stable, Guy followed her to her room. She sat down at the table with the purple cloth and buried her face in her arms, leaving Guy standing awkwardly in the doorway. Her shoulders shuddered and it took him a moment to realise that she was weeping.

"I didn't do it." she said finally, her voice a cross between a sob and a gasp, "I've never even met those girls before. But they all hate me, all the villagers, I try my best help them but they all hate me. I need to make it stop or else they'll hurt me. Their fear and anger will take over and they won't be able to see sense…then they'll do something terrible."

"You'll be protected." Guy said, "You'll be safe here in the castle. I'll protect you myself if I must."

"_You_!" the girl laughed derisively, she lifted her head suddenly, her hair flying and her eyes shining with tears, "You don't care a fig for me! You don't know a thing about me! You don't even know my real name!" She hid her face back in her arms.

Guy bit his lip uncertainly, "What is your name, then?" he said finally.

Her shoulders stopped quivering and he heard her sniff repeatedly, "Olivia." she whispered.


End file.
